For 24 seasons, “America’s Next Top Model” sold the dream that with enough grit, poise, and “smize,” anyone could rise to fame. But behind the glossy photo shoots and viral catchphrases, the series also marked an era of reality television that blurred ethical lines.
Now, Netflix’s upcoming documentary “Reality Check: America’s Next Top Model” revisits the franchise’s most controversial chapters with fresh perspective and unprecedented access to the people who made the show a phenomenon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is described as a “must-watch chronicle of America’s Next Top Model — and the chaos in front and behind the camera. What started as a glamorous launchpad for aspiring models became a pop-culture juggernaut defined by explosive drama, public meltdowns, and controversies that still fuel viral moments today … Reality Check exposes the show’s complicated legacy and asks a provocative question: how far are we willing to go for entertainment?”
In the trailer, Tyra Banks, the show’s executive producer and host, offers a rare glimpse into her mindset at the time.
“I haven’t really said much, but now it’s time,” Banks shared. “I knew I went too far … it was very intense, but you guys were demanding it.”
In addition to Banks, the documentary also features the show’s former judge and photographer Nigel Barker, creative director Jay Manuel, and runway coach Jay Alexander.
“I realized Tyra would do anything for the success of her show,” Manuel said, reflecting on the show.
The trailer revisits moments that have lingered in public memory, including a 2005 episode in which contestants were told, “We are going to switch your ethnicities,” a challenge that has since been widely criticized for relying on racial caricature and blackface. The documentary also acknowledges broader patterns on the show, including former models’ claims that consent was not always given during physical interactions with male models, as well as repeated instances of fat shaming presented as motivation. Manuel claims the show was trying to show “the behind-the-scenes of what the fashion world was.”
“Reality Check” includes interviews with former contestants Whitney Thompson (Cycle 10, 2008), Dani Evans (Cycle 6, 2006), and Giselle Samson (Cycle 1, 2003), adding firsthand accounts to a story that, for years, was largely told through editing and narrative control.
“America’s Next Top Model” ran from 2003 to 2018, and now fans will get to explore “the chaos in front and behind the camera,” when “Reality Check: America’s Next Model” premieres on Netflix Feb. 16.
